Mining Ruins and Ghost Towns in Summit County, CO

It's looking a lot like winter already in my back yard.

 This morning when I walked, it was 18 degrees.
I must wear heavier layers, plus gloves and a fleece headband.
I try to walk 4-5 miles every day.

 I watch my footing. Ice is forming on the creeks and on the logs I use to cross.
As I walk, I think of long-ago residents and wonder about the hardships they endured. 

Through the fall, I hiked along Pennsylvania Creek, Illinois Gulch, and Boreas Pass to explore old mining ruins and ghost towns.
Summit County, Colorado, is rich in mining history. Ruins from the past are everywhere. 

Pennsylvania Creek Cabin

Dilapidated cabins help me imagine life in the 1800's.

This one room structure has an old iron wood stove and a rickety ladder leading to a small sleeping loft.

Ghost Town at Dyersville

The cabins and mines are located near water.

In the summer and fall, water for drinking, cooking, and occasional bathing would be easily accessible.
But in the winter when thick ice forms, getting water would be hard work.

Illinois Gulch Cabin

The cabins are tiny and provide just enough space for cooking and sleeping.

Outhouse at Illinois Gulch

Imagine having to use these "bathroom" facilities in a blizzard with frigid temperatures!

Warriors Mark Mine

Mining structures were erected close to the cabins. There was no commute to work.

Boilers still overlook the slag heaps.

History lies abandoned in the forest.

Sometimes, I think I see the ghosts of long-dead miners, still whispering about their dreams to strike it rich.